Product Description

Mauviel, a French family business established in 1830 and located in the Normandy town of Villedieu-les-Poeles, is the foremost manufacturer of professional copper cookware in the world today. Highly regarded in the professional world, with over 170 years of experience, Mauviel offers several different lines of copper cookware to professional chefs and home cooks that appreciate the benefits of their high quality products. Professional cooks can attest that copper cookware is an essential part of every cookware collection as it is 2X more conductive than aluminum and 10X more conductive than stainless steel. This advantage makes copper the very best material for cooking, as it is unsurpassed in its ability to heat up evenly and rapidly and to cool down quickly, allowing for maximum control and great cooking results.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #91883 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Color: Copper
• Brand: Mauviel
• Model: 2191.20
• Released on: 2004-06-01
• Dimensions: 5.20" h x 8.80" w x 8.80" l,

Features

• 8-inch copper bowl for beating egg whites
• Copper material interacts with egg proteins to produce fluffy, high-rise whites
• Allows whites to reach full volume and stiffness
• Brass side ring lets chef hold or hang bowl
• Hand washing recommended; limited lifetime warranty

Amazon.com Product Description
Chefs that frequently cook with egg whites will delight in this 8-inch copper bowl, which is designed specifically to maximize the volume and stiffness of whipped whites. The process relies on the natural acid of the copper material. The acid--which is normally seen as a negative in food circles (which is why most copper cookware is coated with a stainless or tin interior)--releases an ion that reacts chemically with the egg white proteins to produce fluffier, higher rising peaks. To enjoy a similar result in glass bowls, chefs would need to add tartar and then whip enthusiastically to overcome the bowls' slick surface. The copper bowl also includes a brass ring on one side, which chefs can use as a handle or a hanger. Mauviel recommends hand washing the bowl, which carries a limited lifetime warranty.

Customer Reviews

It is what it is
I never understand reviewers who complain about the design features of this very specialized product. Complaining that one of these doesn't have a flat bottom is like complaining that your Corvette doesn't have a back seat. Round copper bowls like this are specialized items made for one purpose: to whisk eggs whites (maybe that's why it's called an "egg white bowl?" maybe?), and the design is optimized for the best result when doing that one specific task. That means they're made out of copper, which involves extra work to clean, and they're spherical in shape because that shape matches the movement of a hand wisk, and hence you get more consistent, uniform mixing, and more egg contacting the copper than you do in a flat-bottomed bowl. As far as holding the bowl all the time, a) I always hold the bowl while I'm whisking egg whites whether the bottom is flat or not, and b) it doesn't take a degree in culinary science to figure out you can set one of these in a cereal bowl if you want to put it down. If watching the bowl sit flat on a counter is your main priority, then this bowl isn't for you. If getting the best results when hand-whisking egg whites is your top priority, then this is what you want. You should decide which one you want before you buy. I really wish people would not down-rate something simply because it isn't what they wanted when it's exactly what it's supposed to be. Since this is sold as a round copper bowl for whisking egg whites, one can hardly justify criticizing it because it's round or copper. If you find it to be too large or too small, you think the workmanship poor, or some other aspect is a problem, then comment on that. Otherwise, it is what it is.

d. murphy
This bowl is superb for its intended purpose, namely to whip egg whites. The unlined copper is the material of choice and the round bottom facilitates the whipping of the egg whites. Considering the care needed to maintain unlined copper and the awkwardness of a round bottom, it really has no other practical use (other than to hang as a decoration).

Wonderful: Heavy copper - works perfectly
There's two ways to work this bowl: Either set it into a heavy ceramic mixing bowl as a "nest" or carry it in the crook of your arm with your thumb through the ring. Either way is comfortable. When nested in a ceramic bowl, this Mauviel is stable enough to tilt it toward your whisking hand so that you have an easier wrist angle than if you used an ordinary flat bottom bowl.

If you want to chill the ingredients, put cold water or water and ice in the ceramic nest bowl; if you want to warm the ingredients, use hot water in the ceramic nest bowl. 'Dem Frenchies ain't as dumb as we often like to think -- this works GREAT!

8-Inch is the smallest reasonable size for this type of bowl. Consider getting a larger one if you whip a significant quantity of egg whites. I think a larger bowl of the 10.6-inch Mauviel allows me larger movement of arm and whisk which makes more bubbles and gets the whites to stiffen up faster. The 12-inch seems like more than I need most of the time. You've got to judge it for yourself before buying. (We got into this stuff back when plain copper was dirt cheap.)

Nothing matches copper in this work. Read up on the chemistry involved and understand that eggs whipped in this bowl can give you as much as 25% of your recommended daily allowance of copper.

Avoid the Old Dutch copper bowls (we have the large and the medium). They are thin, dent at a touch and warp out of round just by holding it when whipping. The Mauviel feels so strong that I would wonder if I couldn't stand on it safely. The Old Dutch would crumple if our cat jumped on it. Everytime I look at it, mysterious new dimples appear.